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I have this plant that came up last year as a volunteer. I love it but have no idea what it is. It grew, flowered from spring thru fall (til we had a frost I think maybe in Nov). With no water and the gophers did not get it like they got everyting I put in the ground last year(the reason why I am doing SFG this year). The bees love it. It grew about 3 ft and was a nice rounded shape.

Anybody know what it is? I am in southern California, in a very dry and warm area of the Inland Empire.

The 1st picture was taken last fall when it was looking a little worn but had flowered for probably 6 mos. The other two are from one of the same plants that came up by the house this spring and show the leaves and flowers better. I scattered seed around and have a bunch coming up.

Thanks, Middlemomma - small world - I grew up in Rialto and went to Eisenhower High but have lived in Bloomington for over 25 yrs now.

Camprn - Thanks for the lead on yellow Mexican Sunflower but as far as I can tell in internet pictures they have smoother edges to the flower petals. Mine has sort of a serrated edge, all the petals have 3 lobes but I'm sure that's not the right term.

I'm just wondering what it is as it seems so well adapted yet I've never noticed it before.

@Goosegirl wrote:It looks like some variety of gaillardia - blanket flower. If it is, it is very hardy and drought-tolerant.

The flowers do look like some of the varieties of gaillardia but as far as I can tell the leaves are different.

That's what I thought, too. I was able to find lots of pics of gaillardia, but none that showed the leaves really well. I know there are several different shapes of leaves (from lance to pointy lobes) but I couldn't find one that showed the bigger leaf varieties to see if the leaves matched. I say call it a Lindacol Sunflower!

I think I have the same plant in my yard. I'm in OC Sunset zone 22, nearish the crush.

I'll try and take a photo and post. Been swamped. First year trying a raise bed instead of straight up container pots. We moved into a new house last summer and the yard is a jungle. If I wasn't always buying stuff, I'm sure the local nursery would have kicked me out a long time ago as I'm always trying to identify the wide range of flowering plants in the yard from the previous owners.

I'm using raised bed because of the heavy clay soil. Granted, everything else in the yard is doing just fine in the ground. That said, virtually all my spots were taken except a slot along the side yard for a narrow 2x12 bed next to wall. No problem, climbers and trellis for the wall! :-)